Evolutionary and developmental aspects of dentition of squamate reptiles

EVOLUTIONARY AND DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECTS OF DENTITION OF SQUAMATE REPTILES Summary of the PhD. thesis Dentition and its evolutionary modifications played important roles during the radiation of reptiles. It is generally accepted that a plesiomorphic state for reptiles is represented by homodont, polyphyodont dentition with conical or cylindroconical teeth. However, in contrast to mammalian dentition which is the object of intensive research, reptilian dentition is studied only rarely. I therefore focused on developmental and evolutionary aspects of squamate dentition and used histological, immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization methods, computerised tomography, rentgenography and scanning electron microskopy. The goals of this work were as following: (a) to choose the model taxa representing squamate lineages relevant from a phylogenetic position as well as possessing dissimilar types of dental adaptations; (b) to evaluate using of these taxa as model species; (c) in these taxa describe basic odontogenic features. As a species with generalized dentition gecko Paroedura picta was chosen, the up coming reptilian model species with features also present in a wide spectrum of other lizards. I focused mainly on the developmental differences between teeth of the null and functional generations, development..